Stone Soup was a success! Each and every child did something to help prepare the soup, including chopping lots of yummy fresh vegetables! After it simmered in the slow cooker for a day, we had our own community stone soup feast. There was even enough to share with others in the school.
Because there are so many different versions of the story, we have been reading as many as we can, and comparing the characters, settings, and plots of each. Our students are building their literary vocabulary. This coming Sunday, January 27, is St. Mary's Open House. Open House hours are from 12:15 - 2:00 pm. Please invite any family that you think might be interested in a quality Catholic education. Next week is Catholic Schools' Week. Every day will have special themes, and activities for all students. This year, the motto is "Celebrate!" On Monday, we celebrate community by inviting guests to join your Montessori children for lunch. Please arrive by 11:20 am; lunch begins at 11:30. This is also our day to wear class colors. Montessori colors are "rainbow"!
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January is Geology Month in the Montessori Children's House! Along with exploring different rocks and minerals, we have also been learning about landforms, using models to show the difference between a lake and a gulf, or an island and an isthmus. And of course, one of the most exciting geological features of all - the volcano! Our class has been using a model volcano that "erupts" with a baking soda and vinegar mixture.
Keeping with the theme, this week, the Montessori class began reading the stories "Stone Soup." There are several versions of this old tale, and so we are doing a unit on comparative literature. During the discussions about how the various Stone Soups are alike and differ, we will learn about the elements of literature - namely character, setting, and plot. Of course, as you've probably heard, we will be preparing our own stone soup. This will be a hands-on representation of the theme of the story. We are learning that if everyone gives a little, we can all have what we need. Also, in the story, the characters start out suspicious of others. Once they share, and eat a meal as a community, they learn they like their neighbors. A note asking for ingredients came home Thursday and Friday. Kindly bring in ingredients Tuesday, January 22. We have also been learning about Martin Luther King Jr. Ms. Rachel has read books about him and we have learned that he was a peaceful man who spent his whole life fighting against unfairness. Please enjoy the long weekend in his name! Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday! It's been such a pleasure seeing everyone after such a long break.
It's becoming clearer that our Montessori students are becoming more confident and self-sufficient. We often think of practical life work as the shelf work of pouring water from pitchers or transferring little marbles with tongs, But our students' real practical life work is about caring for themselves - going to the bathroom, washing hands, serving themselves snack, putting on shoes, hanging up their jackets ....... the list is practically endless! Coming to school is simply the first piece of work of a child's day. Our students have learned to take off their jackets, hang them up, put their lunch box in the designated place (or order lunch), take off boots, put on their shoes. Rather than something to do for the child so they can get into the classroom to begin learning, that time in the hallway is a learning opportunity. |
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Ms. Teresa is just one of the three fantastic teachers in St. Mary's Montessori Children's House! |